Page 64 of Benji

I took Benji’s hand and walked him out to the living room. I hadn’t expected Dom to still be there, but he was. Standing at the glass door to the balcony, looking out at the world, his hands clasped behind his back.

“Oh,” I said, surprised.

He glanced over his shoulder and sighed before turning around to face us. “I’m surprised to still be here too,” he said flatly, just as the intercom buzzed.

My gaze went to the door, and I pulled Benji behind me.

“I called someone,” Dom explained as he walked over and let whoever the hell it was into my apartment complex.

“What the hell?” I asked, incredulous. “Who? Who did you call, Dominic?”

Who the fuck did he think he was?

“What have you done?”

He sighed again and opened my front door. I had no clue who was about to walk in. Cops? The DA? Our boss?

But they didn’t walk in. They ran and skidded to a stop in my living room.

Fitch.

And a taller guy followed a second later.

Dominic had called Fitch?

Fitch saw no one but Benji. He bypassed me and collected him in a fierce hug. The second guy, whom I wasn’t sure I knew, came over and ruffled Benji’s hair.

Dominic closed the door and met my stunned gaze. “We need to talk.”

TEN

BENJI

I was so overwhelmed.By everything, by everyone.

I’d gone from having the best morning to having it all upended in a second. And, I realised, as Dominic sat opposite me with that goddamn file with those photos and my real name, the worst part wasn’t knowing I’d been found out.

It was knowing I had to leave Nolan.

That he knew I’d lied to him. That I’d hurt him.

That my time with him was over, ending in the worst possible way.

That was worse than anything my father could threaten me with. Worse than what my father’s henchmen could ever do to me if they’d caught me.

The way he sat on my side of the table, holding my hand, only made it worse.

The legal case he’d been working on had been the one against my father.

The odds of that were astronomical. The odds of him forgiving me even worse.

Packing my bag and leaving was the only thing I could think of doing. Getting out of there, running away, going into hiding all over again was the only choice I had.

Until Nolan begged me not to go. Until he held me and told me I was worth fighting for.

I’d never needed to hear anything more in my life.

He was a rescue boat when I was drowning in a sea of fear and guilt.